Featured Artist for May 1999

Featured GiveAway by Sandy Burstein Fantasy In Color 19 1/2" x 27 1/2" 1994 Pen and Ink on Paper Valued at $950

Greg Boegner Beverly Hills, CA

Fantasy In Color was the artist's first pen and ink. Sandy was working on ceramic sculptures and carved wood, and with all the physical work that goes along with carving, she figured it was time to try something new. Without another thought on the subject, she approached the drawing board with all necessary utensils and materials laid out and drew. Sandy felt transformed into the two-dimensional surface and let a cosmic energy dictate her work's outcome. Fantasy in Color emerged. She has continued in pen and inks since her first attempt was so successful.


MEET THE ARTIST

Featured Artist Sandy Burstein

Sandy Burstein was born October of 1945 in Johannesburg, South Africa and now resides in California. She has some family roots in the arts as her father's brother was an artist but he passed away before Sandy was born. At 3 years old and being the youngest in her family, she had to be creative so the older kids would include her in their games. She kept everyone amused by telling stories and drawing pictures. To this day, she still tells stories in her art and every work of art that she creates will have some story being told through it.

She is a self taught artist and it used to worry her that she had not “studied art”. But as she looks back now, what Sandy has achieved makes her proud. She realizes she was born with a gift as well as perseverance, and continually explores and enjoys it to the fullest. She relies on her instincts and divine guidance, which she is very grateful and thankful for.

Sandy loves drawing and creating and it is simply a part of her life and her being. Daily events and happenings translate directly into inspirations, explorations and finally, the outcomes. Sandy loves sitting with a pencil in her hand and a blank page, with the stereo on simply looking without actually seeing. Her dogs playing and the parrots talking and laughing in the background but not being heard. All this going on while she sits and thinks about what should appear on that blank page.

When Sandy lived in South Africa, she had a pair of 6 foot salt water aquariums, one with fish and the other with corals. Her studio was and still is a very happy place; her 'sanctity' if you will, where she sits in peaceful surroundings to start working. Getting down all her thoughts and inspirations on paper first, then on to either wood, clay, etching or oils, depending on her needs. She never actively thinks with her art, instead, leaving it to her subconscious and instinct to lead her. That is why she works in different mediums and styles, which she calls “unificationism”. Sandy explains, "I would like to share these styles with the world, as we are all ultimately seeking the same goals in unificationism; peace as a result of harmonious balance between mind and spirit.

Sandy usually works at the crack of dawn, when she actually beats her birds to see the dawn. She works full time as an artist and loves the ocean, trees, flowers, and animals. Being one with nature and life is Sandy's fulfillment. She loves the effect her work has on people, especially when they tell her "looking at your work makes me forget all my problems." It seems to transport them into another world. When peace, harmony and love is spread around and is absorbed by all."

	THE DISCO DANCER shows us the freedom within ourselves. The work personifies the dancers, totally immersed in the beat of the music. They are mesmerized and in another place and time. Oblivious to everything around them. All they hear is the music and their heart beat. They are at one with there surroundings and at one with there lives. Utter entrancement.
The Disco Dance, 35" x 31", 1995 Carved wood and oils $5000

Nature is a grand inspiration for Sandy where she loves and appreciates life and helps and shares with others. Being a Libra, and when everything is harmonious and well balanced, she's at her best. Sandy's hobbies include collecting coins, squash, biking, traveling, music, and theater. She abhors dishonesty, greed, and cruelty towards people and animals. She dislikes the way people destroy and pollute the environment.

Sandy works in several different mediums which enable her to express her feelings. Painted and carved wood panels, oils on canvas, etchings and serigraphs. She works with wood, carving tools, clay, canvas, paper, etching plates, and oils.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Sandy finds it very difficult to talk about herself and accomplishments, since she feels she was given this wonderful gift of being able to put her thoughts and convictions into works of art. These genuine windows through her mind bring such delight to her patrons and enthusiasts which is an added reward. As a child brought up in South Africa, she was aware at a very early age of all the injustices to humanity that surrounded her. At age 5, she contracted polio which only accentuated her perception and awareness of not only pain and affliction from illness, but the anguish and suffering that certain people perpetrate on others because of their color or religion. At that young age, she decided she had to color her life and everyone else's with elaborate lighthearted and optimistic stories of a make believe world, where happiness, love, peace and harmony are the norm. Later on, in her teens, she translated these same stories into art.

	THE MUSICIANS was born out of Sandy's love of music. She feels that music and art go together so well. She used to play in an orchestra many years ago and this painting is about that period of her life.
The Musicians, 48" x 36", 1991 Oils on Stretched Canvas $3000

Since she is a self taught artist, her friends often joke that each time Sandy tries a new medium, it is as if she is reinventing the wheel all over again. She is always teaching herself different techniques of a particular medium. She finds that this is what makes her work so exciting and interesting and compares it to a journey into the unknown; of inspirations, expectations and hard work. Sandy is forever conscious and respectful of the environment. The wood she uses is grown specifically for commercial use only. She is also conscious and upset at how civilization is actually becoming immune to all the horrendous atrocities and accepting it as a way of life. When she does portray these emotions in her work, she tries to express it in a subtle way, so that the viewer first identifies with the substance of the work and then the message of what she's actually portraying will materialize.

When Sandy saw the French film A MAN AND A WOMAN, she loved the story, music and acting. Many years later, because the film had such pleasant memories, she did the painting. She works from intuition and explains, "The words are actually quite difficult to find to explain the works or my emotions when I created it. To be an artist is like never having to grow up. One can act out their fantasies, hopes, reality or dreams on whichever medium they care to use. It is a great way to live."

Man and a Woman, 1990 40" x 40" Oils on Stretched Canvas $3000

Sandy was greatly influenced by the different cultures of America including Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, African, Egyptian, Greek and the Mayan/Inca cultures. She strives to illustrate the harmonious balances of the universal themes of spirit, truth, creation and unity. Since 1964, living and working in South Africa, her many styles of unificationism have been enjoyed locally and internationally. She has had the honor of numerous solo and group exhibitions worldwide and has traveled extensively, soaking up all she saw and experienced. The Red Cross, in conjunction with Sotheby's, has premiered her work with the proceeds donated entirely to the Red Cross. Sandy's work is collected in prominent private and corporate collections in major cities all over the world.

	THE CRUCIFIX is Sandy's way of saying to the citizens of the world. "We are all the same, no matter what faith or race."
Crucifix, 48" x 36", 1990 Oils on Stretched Canvas $3000

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

1998 The Onion Gallery, North Hills, Los Angeles
1994 Bardean Gallery, Albuquerque, New Mexico
1994 Maveety Gallery, Gleneden Beach, Oregon
1992 Total Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1987 Total Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1985 Helen De Leeu Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1984 Natalie Knight Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1976 Skolamowska Gallery, Pretoria, South Africa
1975 Gallery 21, Johannesburg, South Africa
1971 Gallery Ein Hod, Ein Hod, Israel
1970 Maskit Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
1969 Gallery 21, Johannesburg, South Africa
1967 Helen De Leeu Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa


SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

1998 West Valley Arts Harvest, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles
1996 The Art Bank Wishire Gallery, Los Angeles
1995 United Nations 50th Anniversary, Artbank Wilshire Gallery, Los Angeles
1995 Artcore Newcomers, Brewery Annex, Los Angeles, California
1995 Hartog Fine Arts, Los Angeles, California. Charity event for the "Homeless"
1990 Total Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1988 World Trade Fair, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
1998 Everade Read Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1998 Coppin Johnson Gallery, Durban, South Africa
1998 Garlicks Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
1998 Trinity Hall Gallery, Grahmstown, South Africa
1987 South African Red Cross
1986 Total Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
1983 Skolamowska Gallery, Pretoria, South Africa
1981 Republic Festival, Durban, South Africa
1979 Helen De Leeu Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa

Contact the Artist

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ARTIST STATEMENT

It is a tremendous sensation and immensely gratifying to know that what I have aspired so hard to accomplish... making people happy and contented... is indeed working, and that I am achieving what I set out to do. Through harmony, love and peace the world would be a much happier place for all to live in. ~ Sandy Burstein